Mark Minichiello is glad to finally see the back of his injury issues and he’s now eager to take the field against St Helens tomorrow.

Hull FC travel to Saints for their final match of the pre-season at the Totally Wicked Stadium (2pm kick-off) and Minichiello is set to make his first appearance of the year.

Minichiello suffered late last year with a hernia problem which eventually required surgery, with the back rower also dealing with a groin issue throughout the season. But the 36-year-old says he is now feeling fresh and ready to make an impact again for the Black and Whites.

“It’s been an up and down off-season. I came back alright but I’ve had a few issues with the groin and the hernia,” Minichiello told Hull Live.

“The last couple of weeks have been pretty good, though, and hopefully that’s the last of the issues and I can move forward into the new season.

“We have had a great pre-season. We have had a lot of long-term injured players who have been coming back to fitness. The next couple of weeks are important for those guys, myself included, to make sure we are right for round one.

“We have worked a lot harder this pre-season than we have in previous years on the areas we need to improve. There has been a lot more emphasis on keeping strong. It’s about coping with the rigours of the whole season.

“I’m looking forward to the hit-out against Saints. It will be a good gauge of how I’m feeling.”